Migration from the Districts to Central Çorum: Becoming a Migrant in Your Own Province

What do figures on migration from the districts to central Çorum show? A psychological look at adjustment, grief and belonging for families who move.

When we think of migration, most of us picture moving to another city or even another country. Yet sometimes a journey of just forty or fifty kilometres can change a person's life from start to finish. Figures on Çorum migration from the districts to the centre reveal this quiet but profound movement: according to local sources citing TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute) Address-Based Population Registration System data, 12 of Çorum's 14 districts lost population between 2024 and 2025. Over the same period the population of the Central district grew by 2,310 people, while the combined population of the districts outside the centre fell by 4,055. Families who grew up in a village, a small town or a small district and move into a flat in the provincial centre may remain "in the same place" geographically, but emotionally they are stepping into a whole new life. In this article we look at these figures and at the psychology of becoming a migrant in your own province.

Migration from the Districts to the Centre in Çorum: What Do the Figures Say?

Population data show an inward movement in Çorum, that is, from rural areas and small districts towards the provincial centre:

• The centre is growing: According to local news reports citing TÜİK's 2025 Address-Based Population Registration System data, the population of the Central district is 299,565. This represents 57.65 per cent of the province's population. The centre grew by 2,310 people compared with 2024.
• Most districts are shrinking: Between 2024 and 2025 only the Central district and Sungurlu gained population. All of the remaining 12 districts lost population. In proportional terms, the fastest-shrinking were Laçin (5.6 per cent), Dodurga (5.4 per cent), Uğurludağ (4.6 per cent), Bayat (4.6 per cent) and Mecitözü (4.2 per cent).
• The long-term trend: According to the 2015 Çorum Social Analysis report of the Central Black Sea Development Agency (OKA), the net migration rate of every district outside the centre was negative in 2013–2014. The same report states that the urbanisation rate rose from 52 per cent in 2000 to 71 per cent in 2014. A calculation based on 2025 data puts the share of people living in provincial and district centres at approximately 77 per cent.
• Rural life is still strong: Even so, about 23 per cent of Çorum's population lives in villages and small towns. In Turkey this share is 6.4 per cent. In other words, while one in four people in Çorum still lives in a rural area, across Turkey the figure is one in sixteen.

The limits of the data

Changes in district populations cannot be explained by migration alone; births, deaths and migration out of the province also affect these figures. In small districts with a large older population in particular, deaths outnumbering births may account for part of the population loss. Our research did not find an up-to-date net migration rate at district level. For this reason it is not possible to give a precise figure for "the number of people who moved from the districts to the centre"; the data we have show the direction of the movement but do not measure its size precisely.

Possible Reasons for Migration from the Districts to the Centre in Çorum

Behind a family's decision to leave its village or district and move to the provincial centre there is usually more than one reason. The data and regional reports point to the following structural factors:

Work and livelihood. Income from farming not being enough, and industrial and service jobs being concentrated in the centre, may draw families to the centre. The OKA report also notes that people arriving from rural areas may struggle to enter employment and may face poverty. In other words, moving does not always bring the expected financial relief straight away.

Children's education. For many families, the thought that "the children should get a better education" lies at the heart of the decision to move. In shrinking villages, the merging of schools or bussed schooling may push families to move closer to the centre.

Proximity to health services. For older people with chronic illnesses or children who need regular treatment, being close to a hospital can be an important factor.

Chain migration. When one family moves, its relatives and neighbours may follow over time. As the number of those remaining in the village falls, staying behind can become harder.

Changes in family structure. According to sources citing TÜİK data, the average household size in Çorum is 2.71 people and 61.6 per cent of households are nuclear families. The share of extended-family households is 12.5 per cent. The move from village to centre often coincides with the move from an extended family to a nuclear family.

These factors are possible explanations, not definite causes. Every family's story is its own.

A Psychological Reading: Becoming a Migrant in Your Own Province

Moving from a district to the centre may not seem as dramatic as migrating to a distant city. People around you may say, "What's the big deal, it's half an hour down the road." But this short distance can conceal major emotional changes.

Invisible grief

Leaving a village is not just leaving a house. The land, the garden, the animals, the neighbours you listened to the morning call to prayer with, the people you stood beside at weddings and funerals are all left behind. These losses are often not called "grief", because no one has died and the old place is still there. Yet a kind of grief is still experienced: the loss of a familiar life, an identity, a rhythm. This grief sometimes surfaces at unexpected moments: when you see a tomato at the market that smells like the ones from the village, when you read an old neighbour's name on a wedding invitation, or when your child asks, "Where was our village again?". The sadness that comes at such moments is not a sign of the person's weakness, but of how precious the life they left behind was.

Confusion of identity and belonging

In the village everyone knows you; it is clear whose son or daughter you are. In the city you may not even know the name of the neighbour across the landing. This anonymity is liberating for some and isolating for others. Middle-aged and older adults in particular may experience a feeling of "I belong neither here nor there".

Different experiences across generations

Members of the same family can experience a move very differently. Let us say that in a family that has moved from Bayat to the centre, the fourteen-year-old daughter quickly adapts to making friends at her new school and to the opportunities the city offers. Her mother, however, spends the day within four walls, missing the hours she used to spend in the garden and in neighbours' homes. Her father goes to work and back, but cannot relax at weekends without returning to the village. Under the same roof, one person may be embracing the new life while another clings to the past. This difference can lead to tensions in the family of the "you don't understand us" kind.

The situation of older parents

Sometimes the young move to the centre while the old stay in the village; sometimes older parents are brought to live with their children in an unfamiliar flat. In both cases the older person may lose their sense of control and belonging. For the older person who stays in the village, "being one of the last ones left" can weigh heavily; for the one brought to the centre, so can "living like a guest in a place where I know no one".

The particular burden on women

In rural areas, women's daily lives often revolve around the garden, looking after animals and the solidarity built with other women in the neighbourhood. When they move to the city, this productive role and social network can disappear all at once. The result can be loneliness, a feeling of uselessness or listlessness. Because these feelings are often met with responses such as "You've got everything here, what's not to like?", it also becomes harder to put them into words.

The ups and downs of adjustment

Adjusting to a new place rarely follows a straight line. In the first weeks, the excitement of novelty and the sheer number of things to do may hold feelings at bay. Once the home is settled and daily life has found its pattern, however, longing, tiredness and the question "Did we do the right thing?" may become more pronounced. Some families seriously consider going back to the village during this period. Over time, as small habits and familiar faces accumulate in the new surroundings, the city stops being "a strange place" and starts to become "our neighbourhood". Knowing about these ups and downs can stop a person from feeling they have failed in difficult moments. It is also helpful to remember that the hard part of adjustment often comes not immediately after the move but a few months later.

The shadow of financial uncertainty

The decision to move is usually made in the hope of a better future. However, rent, bills and the costs of city life can be an unexpected burden for a family that used to live in its own house in the village and grow food in its own garden. When financial worry combines with the emotional load of adjustment, it can create tension between spouses and an unease that spills over onto the children.

The distance may be short, but the life left behind is long; a family that moves from a district to the centre changes not just a house but a whole world.

Practical Suggestions for Families Who Have Moved or Are Thinking of Moving

Before moving:

• Discuss the decision as a family. Asking for the views of children and older relatives too makes it easier for the move to be experienced not as "something that happened to us" but as "a decision we made together".
• Keep expectations realistic. Gathering information in advance about work and living conditions in the city reduces disappointment.

After moving:

• Do not cut old ties. Going to the village at weekends, attending weddings and bayrams (religious holidays), and talking to old neighbours on the phone softens the transition.
• Build new ties. The neighbourhood mosque, the school parents' association, Public Education Centre (Halk Eğitim) courses or visits to neighbours can be the beginning of a new social network.
• Plan the day for women and older relatives. Small steps such as a little garden on the balcony, joining a course or finding a walking companion support the feeling of being productive and of belonging.
• Give children time to adjust. A new school, new friends and a different city rhythm can be challenging for children too. Our article on how moving house affects children may offer guidance during this process.
• Accept different reactions. While one family member adapts quickly, another may struggle. This is not a weakness, but different losses being experienced in different ways.

If you are curious about the psychology of rural-to-urban migration more generally, our article on migration from village to city also covers the subject in a broader framework.

For institutions: Welcome events for newly arrived families organised by neighbourhood heads (muhtars) and municipalities, meeting spaces for women and older people, and school adjustment programmes for children can ease the burden of migration within the province.

When Should You Seek Professional Support?

Longing, restlessness and difficulty adjusting are quite normal in the first months after a move. However, it may be worth seeking support from a mental health professional in the following situations:

• If intense unhappiness, lack of motivation or hopelessness continues even after months have passed
• If the person does not want to leave the house and forms no relationships with the new surroundings
• If sleep and appetite are markedly disrupted
• If children show school refusal, withdrawal or outbursts of anger
• If the decision to move has led to ongoing conflict and blame within the family
• If the person feels worthless or useless

These signs do not amount to a diagnosis on their own, but they are important signals reminding you that you do not have to go through the move alone.

How Are Migration and Adjustment Addressed in Therapy?

When moving brings an emotional burden, individual therapy can offer a safe space to work on the losses a person has experienced and their adjustment to the new situation. Therapy usually focuses on the following:

• Recognising losses: Allowing grief for the place, relationships and roles left behind.
• Reviewing thoughts: Within the framework of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), looking in a more balanced way at thoughts such as "I'll never be anybody here" or "We've lost everything".
• Building new routines: Gradually introducing meaningful and enjoyable activities into the new life.
• Family communication: Helping family members who adjust at different speeds to understand one another.
• Identity and belonging: Strengthening the feeling of "belonging to two places at once", in which the person can connect with both their village and their new city.

The aim is not to forget the past, but to be able to carry the past and the present together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which districts in Çorum are losing population?

According to sources citing TÜİK data, 12 of the 14 districts lost population between 2024 and 2025; only the Central district and Sungurlu grew. In proportional terms, the fastest-shrinking were Laçin, Dodurga, Uğurludağ, Bayat and Mecitözü. The older population structure may play as much of a part in this loss as migration.

Why can moving within the same province feel so hard?

Because although the distance is short, the way of life changes a great deal. The social network of the village, productive roles, a daily life close to nature and an environment where "everyone knows everyone" can turn into flat life and anonymity in the city.

Is it normal to keep missing the village after moving?

Yes, longing is a normal reaction and usually eases over time. Maintaining old ties and forming new ones makes this process easier. If, even months later, the longing is intense enough to bring daily life to a halt, it may help to seek support.

Should we bring my elderly parents from the village to live with us?

There is no single right answer to this decision. Health needs, the older person's own wishes, the household routine and care options should all be considered together. Making the decision with the older person's views taken into account makes the adjustment process considerably easier.

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Eda Erkan Alapala

Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.

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